Touch the sky
by GallifreyanDemigoddess
Summary: Victoria Williams hated StoryBrook. She wasn't supposed to be there. She wasn't from the Enchanted Forest, she hadn't even met the Evil Queen before the curse hit. Her real name was Merida, Merida of DunBroch. She remembered. She remembered who she really was. And she needed to go back. She had to save her mother and her brothers.
1. Pilot

"Some say that fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own. But I know better. Our fate lives within us. You just have to be brave enough to see it."

—Princess Merida of DunBroch.

* * *

I sighed. Another boring day in this stupid town full of amnesic characters.

28 years. Twenty eight years in this torture. Oh, how I hated my life.

The Evil Queen would think this was the curse. For them it was. For me, the real curse was having to live between two personas. I was Victoria, but I was also Merida.

That was the hardest part of it.

To people of StoryBroke I'm Victoria Williams. A orphan girl with a rebellious phase that works for the Mills as the babysitter of young Henry Mills. To them I was just a schoolgirl, a nobody. Just another citizen.

But I wasn't. Not really.

I was a princess. I was Merida of DunBroch. I was a happy girl. I had everything I loved. I had my horse, a beautiful family and I had my bow.

Then my mother started searching for suitors.

I couldn't stand it. I didn't need a man in my life, I didn't wanted to get married. I was only 16, and I wanted to find my true love.

I think my worst mistake was going to that witch for something that could change my mother. What I really wanted was for her to see who I really was. To understand me. Instead, that witch tricked me. The thing she gave me transformed my mother to a bear. A killer animal, a beast.

I tried all I could to bring her back. I really did. But I couldn't.

Nothing worked, and my brothers ate the rest of the magic cake and...they transformed into beast too.

I wanted to die. My father secretly blamed me, and I ran away searching for a cure for them.

The only reason I was in the Enchanted Forest that night when the curse hit was because I was searching for a man of magic that could help me retrieve my mother's and brother's humanity. Rumplestiltskin was his name, I think.

I didn't found him, what I found instead was the curse.

Now, I'm trapped in a town full of people who didn't remembered who they were. I was the only one, I think, apart from the Evil Queen, that knew the truth.

My only hope was that the saviour would came here, and save us all.

Then, I would, be able to help my mother and my little brothers.


	2. A different day

**Meulin Paws: Hello! Glad you like the story :) Thanks for leaving a review, and yes, soon you'll all se Victoria/Merida interacting with other characters. **

* * *

**Chapter 2 **

I sighed as I heard Granny bickering with Ruby, again. Honestly, one would think they got tired of always arguing about the same things. But no. Everyday was the same.

I crossed the street, saying good morning to the same people I had greeted every morning for the 28 years I had been here. I walked quietly toward the Mills house. Henry had wanted to see me, he had said he had found something incredible weeks ago, and I hadn't had time to see what it was, so now I was on my way to his house. To talk to him, and hopefully, my boredom would go away.

I knocked on on the door, and Regina Mills opened the door.

"Good Morning, Madam Major" I said, like always.

"Good Morning, Victoria" she responded smiling slightly, "Come on in"

She moved to let me enter, to then close the door behind us.

"Henry's in his room" she told me.

I nodded. "Thanks"

I slowly went upstairs, and knocked on his door.

"What?" he asked without opening the door. He probably though it was Regina.

"I'm here" I said.

Immediately, the door flew open and the smiley face of Henry Mills greeted me. I smiled back.

"Hey, kiddo" I ruffled his hair, for his annoyance.

"Hey, Victoria" he said, and let me enter his room.

I opened my mouth, but he beat me. "I have to show you something"

He sounded so excited that I had to smile. It had been a while since I had seen him so excited and happy about something. Whatever it is that he found, it truly seemed to be awesome.

He moved around his room, and pulled a big brown book from under his bed.

I raised an eyebrow. A book? He was so happy and excited because of a book?

"This...is not just a book" Henry said, like if he had been reading my mind.

"Then what is it?" I asked.

...

Henry truly was the most awesome little kid I have ever met. He had discovered about the curse. The book talked about the curse and all of StoryBrook characters. I loved Henry so much when he said his real mother was the saviour.

That meant she would have to came here sooner or later. And knowing Henry, it would be soon. Very, very soon. He was a special kid. He believed in those stories. And that was good. He said he was searching for his mom. His birth mother, mind you. And if he could bring her here...she would break the curse, and I would go home.

And I could help my mother and brothers.

He was a bit sad, because nobody believed him, and Regina, whom was The Evil Queen, by the way, told Dr. Archie Hopper, whom was Jimminy Cricket, about it, and now his therapy sessions were longer and more tedious.

"Do you believe me?" he asked me when he finished talking.

I was grinning madly. "Of course I believe you! I remember"

His face lit up. "You do?"

"Yes!" I grinned and laughed, "Oh, I'm so glad you believe. Its really frustratin' having to be someone you're not"

It was hard. Because I was Merida, but I also was Victoria. I had curse memories about a past that didn't exist. I had Victoria's characteristics, but I was partly still me, still Merida. I don't know how I haven't been drive mad because of it...No. Correction. I was nearly mad.

"The Curse is real! Is real then!" he said happily, "I'm not crazy! It's true!"

I smiled at him, he was so eager about it. The poor kid. Having the Evil Queen as his adoptive mother must be so hard. "Yeah" I said.

"How do you remember?" he asked curious, "You're not supposed to"

I shrugged. "I don't know, I'm not even from the Enchanted Forest, maybe that has something to do with it."

"Where are you from?" he then shook his head, like he had another better question. "Who are you?"

"My name's Merida" I said, "I'm from a another kingdom, not really far from there, but not part of it"

He opened his book and flipped some pages.

"I'm not in the book" I said, "I mean, I can't be. I'm not from there"

He nodded, and dropped the book. He was looking at me with so much interest I nearly blushed. I didn't liked to have attention centred in me.

"Tell me about yourself" he begged.

I smiled, but it dropped a bit. I didn't really wanted to. If I told Henry about what I did...he probably wouldn't understand. And I didn't wanted to disappoint him. As lame as it would sound, he's my only friend here.

"I'm...I'm a princess" I told him, "I have three younger brothers—"

The Evil Queen. No, Regina Mills, opened the door of Henry's room, interrupting me.

"Henry, sweetie, dinner's ready" she said.

Henry jumped out of bed and walked toward the kitchen.

Regina turned to me, and smiled at me. "Are you joining us today, Victoria?"

"I don't want to be a burden" I said quickly, smiling awkwardly.

"You won't be" she assured me, "I made lasagna" her tone was tempting me.

It was hard to believe that the woman that was smiling at me in a motherly way was an Evil Queen. Don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against her, I mean, I hadn't even met her when she was the Evil Queen. But still...I smiled back, her lasagna was the best lasagna in the whole world.

"Okay, then" I said.

Regina smiled again, and we both walked down the stairs. Henry was already sitting at the table, waiting patiently for us to get there.

That night, I had dinner with the Evil Queen and Henry Mills, his adoptive son, and the real son of the saviour.

...

Later that night, I dropped my backpack at the table, and let myself sink into the bed. Tonight was one of those nights were my head felt like exploding. Even after 28 years, everything still felt so surreal sometimes. I considered myself an independent, brave and strong woman, but sometimes...The reality of everything hit me, and I found myself crying my heart out because of everything. My mom. My brothers. My life here...

Everything just exploded.

The only thing that kept me sane was the thought of going back to my family. To save my mother and brothers. Only that hope was able to kept me alive and sane in moments like this, when my mind played tricks on me and made me remember about my old life, but not quite like it happened. My mind messed with me, and my memories changed. It wasn't Merida who was there, instead silly old sweetheart Victoria was there, and she'd accepted one of the suitors without even thinking about it.

Some night it wasn't just those nightmares, but real memories. Memories so vivid about my mother and Mor'Du...

I often thought about them. All day, actually. It had been 28 years. My poor father was devastated, all his family crumbled to dust. Three of his sons were turned into beast, his wife was too, and her daughter was the one to blame. I didn't know how was him now, 28 years after all of that. But what worried me most was my mother and brothers. They were monsters, what if they have been...haunted? What if they...what if...—

I forced myself to block those thoughts. They would only hurt me more.

I got up of my bed and moved to the 'kitchen', where I opened one of the cupboards and took out a bottle of sleeping pills. I swallowed two without water, and sighed. I moved and let myself fall to the bed again.

This time, I actually slept all night. No nightmares, no memories, no nothing. Just blackness.

...

Next morning, I went to school. Did I mention how much I hated to go to school? Well, I do. I mean, okay, physically I was sixteen, but twenty eight years have passed, I should be...oh, god, I would be 44.

I shuddered just to think about it. If I had been on my world, I would be already married (hopefully not with one of the idiots suitors that my mother wanted me to marry) and with a couple of kids. I would probably would have been made Queen, too. But no. I wasn't on my world. And things wouldn't have been that way, at least not in the universe where I transformed half my family into beasts.

Back to the point, school sucked. It was everything the same. And boys were doofuses. I didn't really had friends. Henry Mills and Ruby Lucas where the only ones. Henry was younger than me, so we didn't had classes together. Ruby was older, she'd already left school.

Anyway, after school I walked all the way to Granny's. I had a room there, and obviously, I ate there everyday. My life as Victoria Williams was a bit hard. I was an orphan, and they had put me in foster homes a lot, and it was so tedious...At least I managed to convince them over the years that I was okay being alone. Granny was taking care of me, and Ruby was like a big sister sometimes, so I guess I was okay.

"Victoria" I heard a british accent say, and I turned around.

"Oh, Hi" I said. It was Graham, the sheriff here on StoryBrook. I wasn't sure about who he was at the Enchanted Forest.

He nodded at me, but I noticed how worried he looked.

"Something's wrong?" I asked quickly.

"Henry's missing" he told me, "Have you seen him?"

I shook my head, worriedly. "No, I haven't seen him"

Graham sighed. "I don't know where else to search. I searched everywhere"

I grimaced a bit, "How's Regina?" She must be really, really worried.

He grimaced even more, "She's worried"

I sighed. "Do you need help? Searching for Henry, I mean"

Graham looked at me, "That would be great, yeah"

I nodded. "Just let me change and I'll start searching for him"

"If you see him or know anything, call me" He said.

I nodded.

I ran to Granny's and entered my room. I quickly changed clothes, putting a blue sleeveless shirt and black jeans. I took my skateboard and got out.

I knew Henry probably was at Boston, like he had told me he would. But still...what if he wasn't? What if he was really lost?

...

I searched for him in various streets, but he wasn't nowhere to be seen.

It was night already, and I was skating in a street I had never been, so I was a bit lost. And it was dark, and I was freezing, so I kinda wanted to get back to my apartment. But alas, I didn't know where I was. Meaning, I didn't know how to get back.

I skipped to a stop, and sighed, looking around me. There were some houses, but only one had the lights on. I sighed before walking toward there and when I was on the stairs of the porch I stopped. What if the owner was a creepy old man or something like that?. Not only good Enchanted Forest people where here. I had heard bad people where here too. I'm not someone to get scared easily. I mean, I didn't got scared when Mor'Du tried to kill me, but...Victoria Williams wasn't as brave as Merida was. And right now...I was feeling like Victoria. Not Merida.

Nevertheless, I knocked on the door. I didn't receive an answer for a couple of minutes, and I sighed, moving back to continue and try to find my way back to somewhere I knew. But before I could, the door swing open, and I turned around again.

A man stood there, looking at me with curiosity. He was handsome, I guess. His hair was dark brown and his eyes were blue. He was slender and tall, with dark clothes and a purple scarf around his neck. He was older than me. Maybe 20-ish, 30-ish. In his hands was a hat, still in progress, his other hand had a scissor.

A hat maker? Seriously?

"Yes? Can I help you with something?" he asked.

"Yeah...uh, I hope so." I said slowly, my teeth chattering agains each other. It was really cold. "I'm kinda lost"

He looked at me, but at the end nodded. "Come on in, you must be freezing" Damn right I was.

"Thank you" I sighed.

He let me inside of his house. It was truly a mansion. One of the bigger houses there where here on StoryBrook. Looking at his back I mentally questioned myself who was him.

"I have some maps that could help you" he told me, turning back to me "Or if you prefer I could just give you directions"

"Directions" I said, "I suck reading maps"

He sort of smiled, but it didn't reached his eyes. I sighed a bit, it was warmer here inside the house, but I still felt half frozen.

"Want some tea?" he asked me, noticing that I was still really cold.

I didn't liked to be a burden, but he looked sort of kind, so I nodded.

"Please"

He told me to sit, and I did it while he went to where I presume his kitchen is. I sighed and half smiled at the warmness the fireplace was giving me.

He returned some minutes later, with a tray with two cups of tea. The hat and the scissors forgotten in his kitchen.

"Thanks" I said when he gave me mine.

I sipped it, while he sat in front of me.

"Where do you live?" he asked me, before taking a sip of his own cup.

"Granny's" I said.

"That's a bit far from here. What were you doing all alone in the night in a neighbourhood you don't know?" he was serious, but his eyes were kind.

I blushed a bit. "I was searching for a lost kid"

His demeanour changed, the kindness in his eyes evaporated, and instead I see amusement, but something more too. Something like sadness.

"A lost kid?" he raised his eyebrows, a bit sarcastic.

Yeah, I guess it kinda sounded lame.

"Henry, the major's son's missing." I added.

"He's missing?" asked the man slowly.

I nodded, hoping he was okay...And in Boston, searching for his real mother.

We were silent for a couple of minutes, in where I drank my tea and waited for him to say something. He was immerse in his own toughs, so he didn't said anything.

He suddenly shook his head. There was endless sadness in his blue eyes that reminded me of my own sadness over my family. I really wanted to know who he was. It was almost as he knew the truth. So much hidden sadness...

I looked around. The house was very beautiful. The sofas where white with pink pillows, the table was crystal and there was a piano in a wall close to the fireplace. I saw a little bunny above the piano, making me tilt my head. Did he had a daughter? It didn't seem like so. The house, being as beautiful as it was, felt sort of lonely.

I sighed and raised my cup to my lips.

Suddenly a thought hit me.

The rabbit. The tea. The hat.

"You're the Mad Hatter!" I said. I've never met him in our past lives, or even heard of him, but Victoria Williams remembers reading about him in 'Alice in Wonderland' for a school project.

He nearly chocked on his tea. And my eyes widened. Oh, I was so stupid! It usually happens to me. I talk without thinking. Now he would think I'm crazy! Great.

Instead, he surprised me by looking at me shocked.

"What?" he managed to say.

I blushed even harder. "Nothing"

"No, no, seriously. You just called me Mad Hatter?" he asked, sitting straight in his seat and looking at me wide eyed.

"Uh...yeah" I said slowly.

He continued to look at me wide eyed, but suddenly, a true smile tugged his lips. "You remember?"

My heard did a double take. Was it possible that someone besides Regina remembers?

"You mean about our lives before The Curse?" I asked excitedly. There do was someone else that remembers!

He nodded. And I grinned. "Yeah! Do you?"

He nodded eagerly, and I grinned even wider.

"I'm Merida, or Victoria, whatever you want to call me" I said offering him my hand.

We shook hands.

"I'm Jefferson" he said.

I just stood there, sitting on his sofa, looking at him open mouthed and wide eyed. He was the first person I know that remembers. Well, apart from Regina, but she doesn't count, she's the one that cast the curse.

"Wow" I managed to say.

He smiled, a true smile. "Yeah"

For the next minutes we just stared at each other. I was so happy to found someone that remembers. I never thought I found someone else that does.

I suddenly frowned. "Do you...—" I stopped myself. What I was going to ask was personal and maybe a bit rude. But I wanted to know is I was crazy or if it happened to everybody that remembers.

"What?" he asked me, giving me an encouraging smile.

"Do you...have...nightmares?" I asked slowly. "Because I do. And-And sometimes I felt like I'm going nuts. S-Sometimes I can't tell the difference between me and Victoria...it's...it's...horrible"

His smiled dropped, and he looked so sad it broke my heart.

"Yeah. I do" he whispered.

I looked to the floor.

"It's more horrible than the real curse" I said, "To remember...it is...—"

"Maddening" said Jefferson, voice hard and serious, but his eyes continued to look sad.

I sighed nodding.

We were in silence again, but this time we both looked at each other. I inspected him. He inspected me too, and I kinda blushed, because like I had said, I hated to have attention centred on me.

He cleared his throat.

"So, what's...what's your story?" he asked me, "I've never heard of a 'Merida'"

I bit my lips, trying to decide if I should tell him. I mean...I trusted him, partly because he let me in his house and helped me warm up, and because he remembered too. But it was a bit personal.

Nevertheless, I found myself telling him my story. He was a good listener, and never judged me, he just nodded or raised his eyebrows or rolled his eyes, but didn't interrupted me. When I finished I noticed how good it felt to have talked about that with someone else than myself. Also I noticed a few tears have escaped my eyes, I quickly clean them as discrete as I could.

"So, w-what's your story?" I asked slowly. I hardly doubted Alice in Wonderland tale of him was the real, or even close. Maybe Alice and him had a thing, or maybe Alice isn't real. Or whatever. I was just curious.

He went stiff, and I quickly talked. "Sorry, if-if you don't want to talk about it it's okay"

"No, no, its okay" he said softly, "You told me your story, now it's my turn to tell you mine."

I looked at him, waiting.

He suddenly stood up and motioned for me to follow him. I did, a bit confused. He lead me to where the rooms where, and I froze for a second. Why was he leading me there? He looked a bit serious and sad, but still kind. He couldn't...he wouldn't...right?

"I want to show you something" he said, like he sensed my discomfort.

"O-Okay" I said, following him.

He opened one of the doors. He turned the lights, and my eyes widened slightly at the sight of the room. It was fancy and nice, like the rest of his house, but what caught my attention was all those hats. It was full of hats, they were everywhere. They were, like, billions. I'm not exaggerating, they were billions and billions of them.

"J-Jefferson?" I asked confused. "Why...why so many hats?"

I nearly kicked myself after I asked that. He was the Mad Hatter! He obviously was mad about hats...I guess.

He didn't said anything, he just closed the door again and opened another one. I followed him.

This time the room only had a couple of hats, they were on a crystal showcase. The room also had a table and chairs and materials to create hats. I caught a glimpse of a telescope at one of the windows.

Seeing all those hats and how broken he looked and his notorious desperation and obsession of hats made me curious, not scared like someone else would be. I mean, he was The Mad Hatter, right? He had a thing for hats, but...I still imagined his affliction to hats had a hidden meaning. He couldn't just...be that mad, could he?

I mean, everybody is obsessed with something. But hats were, like, a weird obsession.

He told me to sit down. I did, and he moved to the telescope, sighing as he looked onto it.

He spied on people?

"I was a Portal Jumper" he told me, "That's why there are so many hats"

My eyes widened slightly. Portal Jumpers are people who can travel between realms and worlds. They usually had magical objects that worked as portals. I guess Jefferson's were hats.

"You're...trying to go back?" I asked.

He turned and looked at me. "For her"

I slowly walked toward him, and he motioned for me to take a look at the telescope. I did, and I blinked for a second, then I really saw what he had been looking at. A blonde girl was having a tea party with some stuffed animals and her parents. I recognised her. That was Paige, one of Henry's 'friend'.

"Her name's Grace" he said slowly, "Here's Paige, but it's Grace." he paused for a second. "My Grace"

"That's...is that...?" I moved and looked at him. "Jefferson, Is that your daughter?"

"It hurts so much to see her...Happy with a new family" he said answering my question. His eyes glued to the window. "A new father"

I touched his arm shyly, that sounded so sad and horrible.

"She has no idea who I am" he continued, "She doesn't remember"

"Why-Why don't you talk to her?" I asked. If my family was here, I would talk to them. Be with them, not caring if they don't remember me.

He looked at me. "And destroy her reality?" he asked, looking at me incredulously. I shook my head. I didn't meant it like that. "You know what our curse is about" he said, "These two realities in our head..."

"Will drive someone mad" I said, and my voice broke a little. I felt like I was going mad sometimes. Not that I like to admit it. "But I didn't meant it like that. Why don't you talk to her? Not like her father, but as a friend, or a neighbour?"

He just sighed and shook his head. "I-I can't"

"Why?" I asked softly, still caressing his arm.

He didn't answer me. Instead, he looked glumly to the floor.

"Jefferson" I started, "Why don't you talk to her?"

He didn't met my eyes. "Jefferson?" I asked slowly.

He surprised me when he put his hands in my shoulder and gave me a little squeeze. Nothing to harmful or hard. Just a squeeze like of he was holding himself on me. And I guess he was. I had never seen him on town before, and we all knew each other on town, so I was guessing he didn't go out much. I wouldn't be surprised if I was the first one to talk to him here.

"I left her, Merida" he said. I blinked a bit, it was kind of weird hearing my real name got out of someone else's lips, after all these time. And because of what he said. He seemed to love her. Why would he left her?

Then he told me his story.

His real story.

He was a Portal Jumper who fell in love with a beautiful woman from another realm, they got married and had a daughter on the Enchanted Forest—Grace/Paige—, where they lived for a long time, and they lived happily ever after...Not quite true. Jefferson lose his wife because of his job as a Portal Jumper and master thief. He didn't tell me how, but he said he lost her, so I assumed she was dead. Later on, he told me he changed for Grace, because he didn't wanted her to lose his father too. So he stopped using his hat, got a job selling mushrooms and they were okay for some years. But Jefferson wanted Grace to have everything she wanted or needed. And there entered the Evil Queen. She tricked him into 'helping her one last time' and he fell for it when she offered to gave him and Grace everything they needed. He was a good father, he wanted the best for her daughter, so he said yes. Making the story shorter: The Evil Queen tricked him and let him there on Wonderland, all alone and unable to came back to Grace like he promised. That's why he said he left her.

I tried to convince him it wasn't his fault. Because it wasn't. The Evil Queen tricked him, but he still blamed himself. Anyway. He went a little crazy trying to make a hat that had magic, so he could came back to the Enchanted Forest, back to her Grace.

He didn't exactly told me that he went a little crazy trying. He didn't need to. I had saw all those hats, so I knew. And I pitied him...No. Not really. I didn't just pitied him. I understood him. I could relate to him. I felt like going crazy with regret over what I did.

...

After a while, we came back to his living room.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around myself.

"I have to go" I told him when I read the hour on my phone.

Startled, I realised I didn't wanted to go. Jefferson was the first person besides Regina that knew the truth. Meaning that he was the only person I could talk to without trying to continue acting as Victoria. And that felt good. Really good.

I had a lot of missed calls from Graham and Granny. Granny probably was just worried because I wasn't 'home' yet. Graham probably called me about Henry.

"Let me walk you" he said softly, "It's late, and it's pretty far"

I nodded and took my skateboard from his living room.

He closed the door behind us and nodded to me to start walking.

We both walked in silence, I didn't minded the silence. And I imagined he didn't either, because he didn't talked.

In the middle of our trip, I got cold again, and he put his long coat over me. I smiled in thanks, and we continued walking.

Suddenly, a question invaded my mind.

"Jefferson?" I asked.

"Hmm?" he muttered, glancing down at me.

"Is there someone else that remembers?" I asked.

He frowned for a second, shaking his head 'no'.

"Only Regina, Rumplestiltskin and us" he said.

I froze in my tracks, making him stop too.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning a bit.

"Rumplestiltskin is here?" I asked.

"Yeah" he said like it should be obvious.

He was here! Maybe he could see a way to go back, or at least a way for me to help my family! Oh, god, he was here!

Jefferson suddenly tilted his head. "You didn't know?"

I shook my head no, trying not to seem too much excited "Who's him?"

"Mr. Gold" he said.

My eyes widened. Mr. Gold was the Dark One? He was Rumplestitskin?

"Mr. Gold as in...Mr. Gold?" I asked, dumbly.

His eyes looked amused at my words, and he nodded. "Yeah, Mr. Gold as in Mr. Gold"

I blushed. Still shocked about what I had heard. Never, in a million years, I would have guessed Mr. Gold was Rumple. But whatever, that wasn't what I cared about. What I really cared about was that he was here. He had to help me go back. He had to. I needed to go back. I didn't cared if that meant I'd have to make a deal with him. I only wanted to go home.

...

We crossed in front of the old clock of town, and I stopped when I saw Henry with Dr. Hopper and a blonde woman. My heart did a double take. That must be her real mother. That was Emma.

"It's her" I said, amazed.

"What?" asked Jefferson following my eyes.

"That's the saviour" I said.

He didn't had time to react, because Henry locked eyes with me and grinned widely, motioning me to go to him. I looked at Jefferson, and he broke eye contact with the blonde woman to look at me.

"I'll see you later" he told me, moving back to where we had come from. Not without glancing back at Emma and at myself.

"Wait!" I took off his coat and handed it to him, "Thank you for everything"

He nodded and offered me a small smile, before continuing walking.

I followed his back till he was out of my view, and then I turned to Henry, who was now talking with the blonde woman. Dr. Hopper and Pongo weren't there anymore.

"Hey, kiddo" I grinned while walking toward them.

The blonde woman snapped his head toward me. I gave her a polite smile before ruffling Henry's hair. He groaned and moved out of my reach, and combed his hair.

"Hi, Victoria" he said, "Who was that man?"

I looked back, but he obviously wasn't there anymore. "The Mad Hatter"

The blonde woman sort of sighed/groaned, and I imagined Henry had already tried to tell her about the Curse. I gave her a wink, and she seemed to relax a little bit. I preferred her to think I was joking, than make her think Henry's crazy or silly. At least for now, I couldn't wait for her to break the curse already.

Today was getting better and better. First of, I met another person who remembers. Secondly, I discover Rumplestiltskin is here. And thirdly, the saviour is here.

Henry looked at us both. "Victoria, this is Emma, my birth mother. Emma, this is Victoria, my nanny"

I smiled and shook her hand. "Pleasure"

"Likewise" she said, to then look back at Henry, "Come on, I need to take you to your mother"

He sighed, but entered the car. "See you, Victoria"

"Bye Henry" I said smiling.

I watched them go, but as I made my way back to my apartment in Granny's, I could only thing one thing: the saviour has arrived.

Hopefully, soon enough the curse would be broken.


	3. Time's running again

**Cozy Pizza: yeah, it kinda does :) **

**Meulin Paws: yeah! I love Merida, she's one of my favs, and if they put her in the show...it would be really awesome. They put Elsa! So maybe they'll put more of the 'new' princesses. :) **

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Chapter 3

The same night, I couldn't sleep, so I found myself walking around distractedly. I passed the Mills house just in time to see Emma about to enter her car.

I panicked internally. Was she going? No. No. No. She couldn't go!

Before I could move, she saw me, and she slowly released her grip on the car's door.

"Hey" she said.

I tried to smiled, my heart racing with fear. "Oh, hi"

"You're...going?" I asked slowly.

She nodded. "Uh, yeah"

"Why-Why don't you stay?" I blurted out before I could stop myself, "Henry wants you to"

Emma moved awkwardly. She looked out of place, and I guess she was. It must have been hard for her to see the son she gave away ten years ago.

"I-I'm sorry" I said, "It's none of my business"

"No, it's...it's okay" Emma said. She then looked at me like she just had a second thought. "For how long had you been his nanny?"

I raised my eyebrows while sighing. I forced myself to count the years. "Uh, five or six years"

She frowned. "But you're...what, sixteen, seventeen?"

Damn it! I forgot about that. I looked like a teen.

"Sixteen, actually" I said, smiling awkwardly, "Its, uh, complicated"

She seemed confused, but let it drop.

For a minute we just stood there, me with my hands in my pockets and she looking back at Henry's window.

"Is he...happy?" she suddenly turned to me.

I blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Henry. Is he happy?" she asked slowly.

"Oh." Now how could I answer that? "Well, Henry...he's...he's not. Ever since he discovered that book he says Miss Mills's evil and, well, they fight a lot" her face showed true concern. "Henry's more like a free spirit, while Ms. Mills's a bit strict" More than a bit, actually. Really, really strict.

Emma bit her lip. "Yes, about that...why does he think that? That's...that's crazy. Where did that came from?"

I didn't need to ask what she meant. But I really didn't know how to it it to her. She had been raised—if you could say that—here, on the land without magic. She probably don't believe in magic. And I didn't wanted to scare her or something like that.

"Henry's a special kid" I said softly. "He has a great imagination. And...living with Ms. Mills isn't exactly easy, you know?" I continued, "He found the book, and with it the opportunity of an adventure, of having...hope." I sounded a lot like Ms. Blanchard, but whatever. "And, and...it's kinds funny. Imagining ourselves as characters of a book..."

"Who does he think you are?" she asked.

I shrugged. "It's not important, I don't think you'll know" I wasn't like the other princesses. I didn't had a movie or a book about me. I was just me.

She shrugged too. "I'm smart"

I smiled. I liked her. "I don't doubt it. My name's Merida of DumBroch...Well, at least that's what Henry says"

She looked at me incredulously. "Seriously?"

I looked at her weirdly. Why she reacted like that? It's not like Disney or any other of those industries have created movies about me or something like that...right?

She shook her head when she noticed my look. "Sorry, it's just that there's a movie about Merida, but that's not a classic fairy tale" she said. "The movie's new. But actually...you...you kinda look like her"

I lost it at the movie part. I had a movie? Wow. Then a though stuck me. How horrible it must be! What type of people would create a movie about a rebel girl that transforms her mother and brothers into beast and ten ran away!? That didn't sounded like typical Disney princesses!

"You have the hair, and the eyes..." she said tilting her head, clearly amused by something.

But I was still marvelling about the idea of a movie about me. I shook my head, trying not to think to much about it. "Anyway...uh, I have to go" I said, realising tomorrow I had school and it was bit late.

Emma nodded and smiled a bit at me. That polite yet a bit fake smile of hers. Like she didn't trusted me. Or anybody. "Bye then"

"Uh...consider my words" I said before going, "You should really stay here. It would be good for Henry"

With that, I left. Hopefully Emma would stay here, for Henry. I knew that if she goes then we'll continue like nothing had happened. People in town would forget about her eventually, and the Curse would never be broken. But what could I do? It's not like I could stop her from going if she wanted to.

...

Next morning, I was walking down the corridors in school when I heard Ms. Blanchard talking to Emma Swan about hope. Typical of Snow White to believe in hope.

I smiled widely. So Emma did stayed!

I walked toward them, and the both of them looked at me.

"What did you do to make Ms. Mills so mad?" I asked Emma grinning. I had seen her storming away, fuming and glaring at everybody that moved in her way. Including myself, when she always was motherly towards me.

"Henry disappeared" Emma told me.

I raised my eyebrows. "Again?"

Emma frowned a bit. "He does it a lot?"

Ms. Blanchard and I looked at each other. The answer was yes. Regina have him on therapy because of that, and all the other things he does. Like going to Boston alone. Or hating her...You know, the usual.

"Yep" I said, popping the 'p'.

"Do you guys know where he is, don't you?" said Emma looking at the both of us.

I nodded smiling widely. Of course I did. Ms. Blanchard and I had discovered the playground a while back, and we showed it to Henry, and since then, he goes there when he's angry at Regina or wants to be alone. Well, most of the time I'm with him. But not today. I hadn't even seen him in school today.

"You might wanna check his Castle" said Ms. Blanchard softly.

Emma looked at me, like asking me if he was there. Probably because I was his nanny, while Ms. Blanchard was just his teacher. I half shrugged. He must be there. "Yeah, check his Castle"

I gave her the direction to it, and she left.

I glanced back at Ms. Blanchard. She was looking at Emma, almost hypnotised. She had that look all of the citizens have when their minds try to remember, but the Curse's memories are too strong. She probably felt some sort of connection to Emma.

I smiled. "Blood calls."

She tuned to me confused. "What?"

I shook my head at her, still smiling. "Nothin'"

...

In recess I was sitting on a bench alone, reading a book. My classmates were goofing around. The boys were arguing and playing basketball while the girls were gossiping and watching the boys or putting makeup on their faces.

Younger students where there too. Their recess was over before ours started, but their teacher took them out of the classroom, trying to do something new. I liked it, at least they get to be out of the boring classrooms...

I sighed while trying to concentrate on what I was reading, but I kept on reading the same paragraph over and over again. My mind was distracted. I keep thinking about Emma and Mr. Gold. I needed to talk to him. Maybe he could get me out of here.

But a part of me—the rational one—told me that if he could get me out of here, he could get himself out of here. And since he hadn't...Well, maybe he can't do it. But I needed to ask.

With a sight I closed my book. I was too distracted to read.

I looked up and watched around. Everybody was doing what they did every day, the only one bored seemed to be me.

The nice girls were talking to the not so nice girls, so I see no point in going to them and talk. And the boys...well, they were all idiots. It was hard to believe that some of them used to be gentleman's, prince's. Now...they were just plain idiots with too much hormones.

Out of curiosity I looked toward the 10-years-old students. Obviously, Henry wasn't there, but instead I caught a glimpse of dark blonde hair. Jefferson's daughter was there, taking notes of what the teacher said. She was truly cute. I found myself smiling in her direction, before looking down at my lap again.

With a sight, I flipped to my favourite parts of my book while I waited for recess to be over, but after a while I started to feel like if I was being watched.

I raised my eyes, and met bright blue ones. I smiled and waved at Jefferson, who waved back, before looking back at his daughter. He was standing just outside the school grounds.

He usually used his telescope, he had told me, but today he was watching her in person. That surprised me, but made me smile. At least Jefferson could see her, I couldn't even know if my family was okay. And maybe, just maybe, that could mean Jefferson was starting to accept the though of talking to her. Not like a father, but as a friend...sort of. It even sounded weird in my mind. A 20-ish, 30-ish man being a friend of an 10 years old sounded really, really weird. Possible, but weird.

He then looked back at me, and motioned me to come forwards. I closed my book, put in in my backpack and moved towards him. I didn't crossed the line that divided the school property and the exterior, but I was close enough to talk to him.

"Hi" I said.

He nodded at me, his hands on his pockets.

"I talked to Mr. Gold" he said looking around. Making sure nobody could hear us.

My eyes widened slightly. "Did you?"

"He can't help you. Not here, at least." he told me.

The smiled dropped a bit from my face. So I was right, he was trapped here like the rest of us.

Awesome.

Not even the dark one could help me get out of here.

"I'm sorry" he said. "Magic here is...—" he stopped himself when someone passed by us. I glanced at the person and faked a smile, to then glance back at Jefferson. "—different. There isn't any, I think"

I shrugged. "Its okay" It wasn't. But I was grateful that he, the man I met just yesterday, had already talked to Rumplestiltskin about my problem, trying to help me. "Thank you"

He had been looking at Grace again, but he looked down at me and gave me a soft smile. I smiled back, but it was a little sad smile.

"Can you..." he gestured to around us.

"Yeah" I said. I still had, like, three or four classes left, but I hated school, so whatever. I glanced back at my classmates, and one of them nodded to me, silently telling me she would tell the teachers I had go.

I walked with Jefferson for a while, but we were in silence. I was scratching my mind, trying to think what to say. But nothing really occurred to me. And that made it an awkward silence. At least for me.

I realised I wanted to be his friend. He understood me, and I could be Merida with him, not just Victoria. Besides...I only had Ruby and Henry, and I really wanted someone to talk to.

I was practically starving for friendship.

"I'm sorry" I said suddenly. "I suck at making conversation"

He smiled. "Its okay, I like silence" he said, looking down at me, still smiling slightly. I half smiled too.

"I talked to Emma" I said, trying to form a conversation.

That made him interested. "Yes?"

I nodded. "She's still here. Henry ran away again, and she was searching for him. Hopefully she'll stay more. She looked interested in Henry"

"She's his mother, right?" I remembered he didn't knew much about her. I at least knew all of that thanks to Henry, but he only knew that she was the saviour.

I nodded. "His birth mother, yes"

He nodded.

And we fell again into silence.

...

After a while, we walked in town without a direction, just making small talks about things without much importance, and in my part, enjoying having someone to be with that isn't younger than you, like Henry; or a total party girl, like Ruby is. Jefferson was a bit quiet sometimes, but underneath all that he was sarcastic and sassy. And a bit touchy with me, like, holding my hand or putting his hand in my back, or invading my personal space, but it was okay. He did it unconscious, like he was used to be that touchy and close with women. That made me think he used to be a Casanova. At least before marrying Grace's mom. Or even after, I don't know. I didn't knew him.

And that frustrated me, 'cause I was intrigued by him. I really, really wanted to be his friend. He was the only one that remembers, apart from The Dark One and The Evil Queen. And obviously, there was a difference. A big one. They both were bad people.

...Jefferson was too, he had told me he had done horrible things before, but I suppose not at their level. I mean...he couldn't be that crazy, right?

That was other thing that intrigued me.

His madness.

His madness wasn't something you could see when you lay your eyes on him. If I hadn't seen all his hats I wouldn't know he was mad. For someone who lives here, that doesn't remember, they would think he's crazy if they heard him talk about magic and our world. But for me, someone that remembers, his madness was different. He went mad trying to make a hat that could work and gave him the opportunity to reunite with his daughter. And that was so...sad and touching. He truly was a good father, and that's what hurts me. That Regina invented this new him, in this new land, without Paige.

I hated that she had done that. Why didn't she let him be with her? He's her father! He should be with her...

At that moment, I had mixed feelings about Regina. Because I knew she was, well, evil, but she'd always been good to me. She'd adopted a motherly attitude towards me, and had helped me a lot of times. And that's something I appreciate, but she had done so many bad things too...She had a lot of darkness in her heart. And that was bad.

But we all had our demons.

And mine were eating my mind away every day.

...

I looked at Jefferson. We both were sitting on a bench.

"You know, what I really like of this world is the food" I said suddenly.

He laughed. I looked at him surprised, it was the first time he laughed in my presence. But then, I remembered I had just met him.

I smiled a bit, this time embarrassed. I loved food. Here and on my land. That's something my mother hated about me. My constant hunger. I ate a lot, and sometimes I didn't used good manners, so...My mother didn't liked that. That's something ugly on a princess, she said. Princess are supposed to have good manners and that sort of things.

"Yeah, the food's great" he said. "You don't have to hunt or beg for it"

"I liked hunting" I said. "It was fun"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "I though you were I princess...?"

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "So? I liked to hunt. My papa showed me how to, for the dismay of my mother"

Jefferson snorted. "You're really the most weird princess I have ever met, and believe me, I've met a lot"

"Thanks" I said.

"That wasn't a compliment" he told me.

"I know" I replied, still smiling.

He gave me an amused smile.

"I like you, Merida" he said after a while.

"I like you too, Jefferson" I smiled at him.

So, maybe I had made a friend, after all.

Granny passed us by, and stopped dead on her tracks when she realised it was me. She turned around slowly, and looked at me.

Oh, dear. I was in trouble...

"I, uh, have to go" I told Jefferson, eying Granny with a bit of fear. "If I die today, please, make sure my funeral is nice" Jefferson rolled his eyes at me, a smirk on his lips. "Bye, Victoria" It was the first time he called me Victoria, but I guess he did it because Granny was watching us.

I quickly made my way towards Granny. She had her arms crossed, but when I was close to her, she took me by my arm and dragged me with her. I glanced back at Jefferson, only to find him smirking amused at us. I rolled my eyes at him, but Granny dragged me out of the view.

"Victoria Williams" she was saying. "Why on Earth aren't you at school?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but she didn't let me. "And what are you doing with that man?" she stopped herself. "Who is him? I hadn't seen him before..."

"He's Jefferson" I said shrugging. "And I'm not in school because I hate it"

Granny huffed, and we both made our way towards the hotel.

As we entered, Ruby glanced at us and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Why aren't you at school?" she asked me, but she didn't sounded mad, like Granny, she sounded more amused than anything.

I shrugged, letting my backpack fall to the floor.

"She skipped it" Granny said, crossing her arms again.

"I didn't! I only had mathematic left..." I said, to then continue in a whisper, "And Gym and Spanish..."

Ruby snorted, while Granny huffed again.

"Don't be mad, Granny" I said smiling at him. "I promise I won't do it again...this week"

Ruby smirked, while Granny just sighed.

"I'm going to my room" I told them. "I'm tired"

I made my way upstairs and entered my room. I took off my school uniform and put on simple clothes. I sat in my bed listening to music and doing 'homework'. After a couple of hours I heard Granny and Ruby fighting again.

"You're out all night and now your going out again!" said Granny incredulously.

"I should've moved to Boston!" yelled Ruby dramatically.

I sighed, rolling my eyes.

With another sight I went downstairs, to tell them to shut it off because it was distracting me, only to smile widely at Emma when I saw here on the door. She returned the smile hesitantly, making a face at Ruby and Granny's conversation.

"I'm sorry my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the eastern seaboard" said Granny. I tried not to snort.

"Excuse me?" asked Emma.

Granny turned to her as Ruby entered the little living room.

"I'd like a room" Emma continued.

I smirked wide. She was staying!

"Really?" asked Granny. Ruby popped out of the room to look at Emma too, putting a red scarf around her neck.

Granny the smiled at hurried to the counter. "Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally, there's an upgrade for the square but as rent is due, I'll wave it."

Emma smiled politely. "Square is fine"

The door opened silently and I turned to look at Mr. Gold. He smirked at me, like 'Well, hello there', probably remembering his conversation with Jefferson about myself. I nodded awkwardly to him. He turned to Granny and Emma.

"Now...what's the name?" asked Granny.

"Swan. Emma Swan" she answered.

"Emma" said Mr. Gold suddenly, making Granny and Emma look at him. "What a lovely name" he was sort of smiling at her. His smile and the tone of his voice let me know he knew she was the saviour too.

"Thanks" said Emma.

Granny opened the drawer and handed Mr. Gold the rent money.

"It's all here" she said.

"Yes. Yes, of course. Yes, dear, thank you" he said to Granny, to then turn to Emma again. "You enjoy your stay...Emma" he almost savoured the name on his lips. I looked to my shoes making an awkward face.

Emma followed with her eyes the leaving figure of Mr. Gold.

"Who's that?" asked Emma, turning back to Granny.

"Mr. Gold" said Ruby. "He owns this place"

"The inn?" asked Emma.

"No. The town" I answered, still glancing at where he had been.

Granny shook her head as Emma looked at me. "So, how long will you be staying with us?"

Emma turned back to her. "A week. Just a week"

I smiled. A lot could happen in a week...like breaking a curse...

"Great" said Granny smiling and handing Emma a room key, "Welcome to StoryBrook" Granny told her her room number, and looked at me. "Victoria, show her where it is" she ordered.

"Yes ma'am" I answered, making Granny raise an eyebrow at me. She probably expected me to refuse or whine.

"C'mon, Emma" I smiled. "Let's show you your room"

...

Hours later, I was laying on my bed, chatting with Henry.

'She's staying' I typed into my computer.

Seconds later, Henry typed back. 'Look outside'

I raised an eyebrow, but opened my window and leaned against it, taking my computer with me. 'Why?'

'Wait...just wait' wrote Henry.

'What am I supposed to be looking for...?' I typed.

Seconds later, my computer beeped, and i looked at Henry's message. 'Look out for the Town Clock'

I sighed, but did it anyway.

Nothing happened for nearly half an hour. But then, when I was about to go back to bed, a loud bang stopped me. My eyes widened. The old clock was moving...it was...Moving. That could only mean...

I let out a happy laugh, smiling widely and feeling happier than I've felt in 28 years. Time was running again. TIME WAS RUNNING AGAIN!

It was a start.


	4. I am not okay

**Gotta Dance 88: Glad you liked it! =) **

**Meulin Paws: Thanks! Glad you liked it, and yes. She'd probably be like that if she was on OUAT. **

* * *

**Chapter 4 **

The next morning, I was eating breakfast with Henry on Granny's when Henry made me buy a cup of Cocoa for Emma.

"...—That I like cinnamon on my chocolate, 'cause most people don't, but I'm not here to flirt, so thank you, but no thank you" said Emma to Graham. I had to smile at the thinking of Emma and Graham. He was handsome, and she had too quickly assumed that the Cocoa was from him.

"I didn't send it" said Graham.

"I did" piped Henry.

Emma turned to us, and I smiled at her.

"I like cinnamon too" said Henry, raising from the bench and dragging me with him. I complained while I trying to finish my cup of tea.

"Don't you two have school?" said Emma confused.

"Duh. I'm 10, she's 16" said Henry. "Walk with us"

I shrugged helplessly when Emma looked at me.

And so, we started walking together. I would have liked to leave them alone, but Regina would kill me if I did. She had told me to watch Henry, to make sure he get to school safely. But in the process I was feeling like the third wheel.

"So what's the deal with you and your mom?" was asking Emma as we walked. She and Henry were walking together, I walked behind them while shuffling my IPod, trying not to eveasdrop on them.

"—Step one—identification. I call it Operation Cobra" I heard over my music Henry say.

"Cobra? That has nothing to do with Fairy Tales" said Emma.

"Exactly. It's a code name to throw The Queen off the trial" said Henry. "Victoria helped me choose it"

"So everyone here is a Fairy Tale Character—They just don't know it" said Emma, trying to catch everything Henry was saying about the curse.

"That's the Curse" said Henry. "Time's been frozen, until you got here"

Emma moved an apple to her mouth.

"HEY!" said Henry suddenly, startling us. "Where did you get that?"

"Your mom?" said Emma, giving me a confused look.

I shrugged, confused too.

"Don't eat that!" said Henry. He snapped the apple from Emma's hand and threw it behind us, nearly hitting me. Emma looked back wide eyed, I looked at Henry amused. Of course. The Evil Queen used an apple to send Snow White to eternal sleep, or something like that.

"O-Okay" Emma said, turning back to Henry. "Uh, all right, what about their pasts?"

"They don't know. It's a haze to them" said Henry, to then turn to me and smile widely. "Though Victoria remembers. But ask anyone else anything and you'll see"

Emma looked at me, and I winked at her. "So for decades, people have been walking around in a haze, not aging, with screwed memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious" Emma's tone was slightly sarcastically.

I sighed tiredly. "Couldn't summarise it better"

"I knew you'd get it." said Henry happily, obvious to Emma's tone, making her smile. "That's why we need you. You're the only one who can stop her curse"

"Beacuse I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming—"

"Yes, and right now we have the advantage" said Henry, stopping.

We stopped too. I stoped my iPod, to hear him better. "My mom doesn't know that" he opened his backpack and took out some book pages. "I took out the end, the part with you in it" he handed Emma the one where Prince Charming had baby Emma in arms. "See? Your mom is Snow White"

"Oh kid" said Emma smiling fondly at Henry.

"I know the hero never believes at first" said Henry. "If they did, it wouldn't be a very good story"

I sighed. I just hoped Emma would believe soon. I wasn't sure if I could stand more time here.

* * *

A couple of hours later, I was sitting in history class, totally bored out of my mind. I was contemplating the idea of taking a nap when I felt a paper ball hitting me on my shoulder.

I frowned and looked back. Delilah Jones smiled at me. She was the only one I liked from school. We weren't enemies or anything, but we weren't exactly close. I smiled politely at her, and she motioned me to open the paper ball.

I did, and saw that she had wrote a single 'Hi' on it. I smiled amused, and wrote 'Hi' back. I threw the paper ball at her, and she caught it perfectly. She opened it and saw it. After a couple seconds, she wrote something down, but before she could throw it at me, the professor passed between us, and the ball hit him right in the face.

We all started laughing, only to stop when he glared at all of us. I bit my lips to restrain myself from giggling at Delilah's mortified face.

"Mr. Novak!" she said, her voice sounding an octave higher. "I'm so sorry—"

"Ms. Jones!" barked Mr. Novak. "You—"

She was saved by the ringing bell.

We all cheered and raised from our seats. The day was finally over!

I put my things on my backpack, and followed Delilah outside the classroom. We both giggled at the same time, and I smiled softly at her.

"I'm sorry" she said. "I wrote: Are you doing something later?"

I looked at her slightly surprised as we walked together in the halls. Nobody had ever invited me to do something, like, ever, in 28 years.

"Oh...I don't know" I said. "I don't think so. Why?"

"I was thinking that maybe we could hang out or something" she said, and I saw a blush on her cheeks. "I mean, go to the movies together or something like that..."

"Oh" I said slowly. "Sure, I guess we could"

Her face brightened happily. "Awesome! Do you wanna go now or...?"

"Now's good" I shrugged.

"Perfect" she dragged me to the parking lot, and as we walked to her car, other people joined us. I recognised them as Benny and Lily Smith, twin brothers from our class. Now, I've never talked to them before, but they looked nice. Lily was a redhead like me, but her hair was straight, unlike mine. Her eyes were brown, and she had a cute smile. Her twin, Benny, was totally different from her. He was blonde with freckles and green eyes. They were like opposite poles.

"Hey, Victoria" said Lily.

I smiled politely at her. "Hi, Lily"

"Hey, sweetheart" said Benny.

I frowned. He reminded me of Young Macintosh. One of her suitors. Oh, how she hated him. He had been a good boy, he was loyal and all that, but he was so obnoxiously seductor.

"Don't. Call. Me. That" I said, gritting my teeth.

Benny smirked, while Lily and Delilah rolled their eyes.

"I invited Victoria" said Delilah as we moved forwards her car, "Is that okay...?"

I nodded quietly. "I understand if I'm not wanted..."

Benny and Lily both laughed. "No, no, it's okay. We like you"

Then they proceeded to glare at each other, like if they didn't liked talking at the same time. I proceeded their words in my brain, and smiled shyly. They liked me. Someone actually liked me here.

Wow.

We entered Delilah's car. I sat in the backseat with Lily while Benny went shotgun. Lily actually took out a book while Benny and Delilah flirted.

I tried to bit my tongue, but Lily noticed my look and smiled amused.

"What?" she asked.

"That's actually one of my favourites books" I blurted out.

She smiled, surprised. "Really?"

I nodded eagerly. "I love it"

We started to talk about the book. Our favourite characters, our favourite part of the book. Out favourite chapter, favourite quote...Everything.

Soon after, Delilah and Benny joined the conversation, but they talked about the movie adaptation of the book, one I had yet not watched.

I kinda liked being with them. I felt like a normal teenager for once, just gossiping and talking and joking around.

...

The trip passed quickly, so when we arrived to the movies, Lily and Benny went to buy some popcorn and candies while Delilah and I waited at the movie line. We were gonna see a new action movie. Lily didn't liked the idea too much, but the rest of us were okay by that. I was never too girly girl not to like an action movie, and Delilah said she watched everything.

When we were making our way towards our sits, someone bumped into me. I glanced up to say 'sorry', but the words died on my throat when I saw who was in front of me. A BIG man with long hair and pointy nose looked right back at me. He was dressed in what could be described as a punk style. He had tattoos on his arms. But what really scared me, was the thought of him being there.

I froze. My heart racing wildly with fear.

It looked like him.

But that couldn't be.

There was no way that could be him.

Was it him?

"Sorry" he said, his voice sounding weirdly polite.

I continued to look at him wide eyed, and irritation quickly showed on the man's face. "You alright, lady?"

"I-I-I..."

Delilah, Lily and Benny were looking at us wide eyed, confused and concerned by my attitude too.

"Victoria? What's wrong?" asked Lily.

I shook my head, still watching the man with fear and confusion.

"You can't be here" I whispered.

"What? Look, lady—"

I looked at him, and then to Lily and Delilah and Benny.

My head was spinning and I felt about to have a mental breakdown.

I did what I was best at.

I ran.

* * *

_A little fiery redhead girl was staring at her mother wide eyed. Her mother, the beautiful Queen, was telling her the legend of the four brothers._

_"There was a beautiful Kingdom once" started the Queen. "It was ruled by a King whose wisdom was equal by the love of his people. The King had four sons. Each gifted in his own ways—" _

_"Like me!" she piped. She was gifted with beauty and perseverance, or that's what her mother had told her. _

_"Yes, Merida. But let me tell the story" said the Queen. _

_The little girl nodded eagerly, moving her floppy hair behind her ear. _

_"The youngest was wise. The third was compassionate. The second son was just. And the king eldest son was strong. But he mistook great strength for character." the Queen took a deep breath, and continued. "One dark Autumn the King grew ill. On his death bed, he proclaimed the crown would not pass to the eldest, but that he would divide the rule. He thought the combined gift of the brothers would make an even better kingdom." the Queen looked at her daughter, this was the part Merida needed to listen to. "But the eldest son, feeling disgraced and filled with greed, refused to accept this, proving his point in front of his brothers by using one of his axes to break an image of himself and his brothers" _

_Merida gasped. "How could he!" Family images were extremely important in their Kingdom. _

_The Queen smiled softly at her daughter. "Well, sweetie, I hope you never do that" _

_"Never ever" the little girl vowed. _

_The Queen smiled, and continued the story. "By shattering the image, he shattered the bond of their brotherhood. His words turned to war, changing the Kingdom's fate forever" _

_"But I thought you can't change fate" said Merida confused, tilting her head to one side. _

_"Princesses don't do that" said The Queen, and Merida quickly straightened herself. The Queen didn't answered her daughter, she continued the story. "As war remained a stalemate, in looking for a way to change his fate, the prince came across a menhir ring within the woods. From there the will-o'-the wisps guided him to the edge of a loch, and the witch's cottage far from the shore. Hoping to turn the tide of the war to his favour, the prince persuaded the witch to make a spell to give him the strength of ten men by offering her his signet ring, and she gave him the spell in a drinking horn, but warns him of making a choice: either to fulfil his dark wish or heal the family bonds he had broken. When the Prince brought his brothers before him by staging up a false truce, to their protest he drank the spell, which immediately gave him the strength tenfold but to his surprise, in the form of a massive black bear. While he would have chosen to break the spell by mending the bonds with his brothers, instead, he accepted his new form, and brought them and their enemies down. He then tried to get his army to rule the Kingdom, but they saw him as a wild creature and turned against him. Enraged, he attacked his former men, killing most of them...Doomed to his bestial form by his desire for power over family bonds, the Prince's human consciousness and intelligence were, over time, consumed by animalistic bloodlust. Now, known by the name of Mor'Du, he wanders the lands aimlessly, a savage beast mentally and physically..." the Queen looked at her daughter. "And that, my dear Merida, is why you can't go in the woods" _

_Merida snapped out of her awed state. _

_"But mom!" she whined. "I love it there!" _

_Her father came in the exact moment, leaving his bow on the table, and taking one apple. _

_"Fergus" said the Queen. "No weapons in the table" _

_Merida ran to the table and tried to take her father's gigantic bow. _

_"Can I ship an arrow? Can I? Can I? Can I? Please? Can I?" she giggled when she fall to the grass, the bow being to heavy for her. _

_"That's too big for ya" said the King, making a thinking face. "Why not with yer very own!" he showed her a tiny little bow. _

_Merida gasped. _

_"Happy Birthday, my little darlin'!" said the King. _

_Merida giggled and ran to the woods with her new bow. She practiced for a while, falling miserably all the time she shoot, but her father assured her it was only matter of time and practice. _

_"I miss...again" said Merida with a sight. _

_"Go fetch it, darling" said The Queen. _

_When Merida was out of earshot, the Queen turned to her husband. "A bow, seriously Fergus? She's a lady!" _

_A pierce scream interrupted them, and the King and his guards ran to where it was coming from. _

_"Mor'Du!" yelled the King. _

_Merida stood there, frozen as a gigantic bear growled at her. She was clutching her arrow with fear as the beast roomed over her. A guard ran and moved Merida out of the way when Mor'Du moved to attack her. Her father took his sword and launched to fight the monster. The guard that had Merida on arms ran towards the Queen, putting Merida on her arms, he watched them go on a horse. _

_The pierce scream of the King echoed on the forest that evening. Mor'Du had eaten his leg. _

* * *

I remember blacking out, but when I gained conscious of my acts, I was in the woods, crying my heart out and hugging myself. My head felt like it had exploded.

I was sobbing wildly. Why was he there? He wasn't supposed to be there!

How was he in human form again? Was it because of the curse?

"Merida?" I heard a familiar voice ask, but I didn't looked up. I was still trembling and sobbing, my memories flooding my mind, making me unable to think anything else that wasn't about my other life.

I felt someone crunching down in front of me, but before I could look, another memory invaded my mind.

* * *

_"I am Merida! Firstborn descendant of clan DumBroch, and I'll be shootin' for my own hand!" _

_She took her bow and shoot, perfectly hitting the bullseye that Young MacGuffin had missed. The crew gasped. She moved and shoot again, perfectly hitting Young Macintosh's one. Then, she took a deep breath, and looked at the bullseye without blinking. That one was gonna be harder, Wee Dingwall had actually hit the bullseye. _

_She stopped breathing, and shoot. _

_The crew gasped again, as she had hit over Wee Dingwall's arrow. _

_She turned and smirked at her angered mother. "I think I win" _

* * *

When I opened my eyes I didn't knew where I was. For a moment, I just stood there on the bed, looking at the ceiling.

My head was a mess. Half my Merida memories were invading my Victoria ones. I had to close my eyes again, as I felt to dizzy to have them open. For a scary moment, I forgot if I was Merida or Victoria.

Or...was I both? Or...—

"Merida"

Merida. I was Merida.

I wasn't Victoria. Not right now.

I opened my eyes again, and blinked a few times. I tried to sit on the bed so I could see who was with me there, or where I was. As I did so, I started to see a resemblance on the room. I had been the before.

"Merida?" that voice again.

I looked towards it, and saw a blue eyed man with dark hair. I tilted my head to the side for a moment.

Did I knew him?

No. Merida didn't knew him.

But...I had seen him. It took me a moment to place him in my memories. Victoria had met him. He was in my newest memories. He was the Mad Hatter. He remembered too. We...we were on StoryBrook. Not...not in my Kingdom. StoryBroke.

Story...Broke.

Oh. Yes. The Curse. A Curse...a curse trapped me here.

"You..." my voice sounded strained, and my throat hurt when I talked. "Jefferson?" Yes. That was it. That was his name.

He was looking at me with pity and pain. "Hey...you okay?"

I blinked. _No, I wasn't okay..._

"I—" my voice broke.

_...I was crazy._

Jefferson came forwards and hugged me.

Merida never liked any boy contact. She had nearly shoot Wee when he had kissed her hand repeatedly. So, why did she hug him back?

God. Now I'm referring to myself as 'she'.

What the hell is wrong with me?

_You're crazy, sweetie_, said a voice in my head that sounded like my moms.

I found myself crying again.

"Why is this happening to me?" I sobbed on Jefferson's shoulder.

He whispered something to me, but I didn't quite catch what he said. Another memory made me black out again.

I'm not sure how many times that happened to me that night. All I know is that Jefferson was always there with me. Leaving me cry on his shoulder, or simply helping me remember his name, or mine...


	5. My hero

**EstherMarie117: Hello! I'm glad you liked the story ='D I'll update soon! **

* * *

**Chapter 5 **

When I woke up, I felt disorientated. At first, I couldn't remember where I was, but then, I smelled tea and heard a soft snap of scissors working, just then I remembered.

I moved slowly, and stuck out my feet from the covers to the cold floor. I looked around, but my shoes were nowhere to be seen. I looked down, and I noticed my school uniform was gone, and I was in a light blue nightie. I moved out of the room, and stopped in the hallway when I heard Jefferson talking to someone else. I stopped momentarily, but then, I moved to the bathroom to give him some privacy with whomever he was talking, thought he was probably on the phone.

I closed the bathroom door softly, and when I turned around, I saw my reflection on the mirror. I gasped silently. I looked totally horrible. My hair was a rat net. My eyes were puffy and red, and big dark circles were around them. I looked like a train has ran over me. I even looked older. I sighed and washed my face with cold water. It only made my headache worst, but at least it refreshed me a bit.

After a couple more minutes in the bathroom, I decided to be brave and confront Jefferson. I was so embarrassed. I never wanted anyone to see me when I was...well, having a mental breakdown. And he, the only person I was interested in being friends with, was the one that saw me.

I walked slowly towards were I heard the soft sound of scissors snapping, and saw Jefferson on his Hat room, where we had discussed his story last time I was here. He was sitting on a chair close to the telescope by the window. He didn't saw me at first, as he was immerse making a hat. But when I cleared my throat softly, he looked up.

"Merida" he said, his voice sounding soft, and dropped the hat on the table, raising up and coming towards me. I looked at the floor, feeling my cheeks burning harder than they've ever burn. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay" I said slowly, still looking at the marbled floor. I didn't dared to look at him in the eye.

"Hey" he said softly, and put a finger on my chin, making me raise my head and look at him. His eyes were so soft it made my heart clench.

I shook my head and looked away from his eyes. "I'm sorry you had to see that" I said softly. "It had never happened to me in front of someone else...I'm sorry"

"Stop apologising" he said frowning down at me.

"I'm sorry" I said, my eyes tearing for an unknown reason. Then I broke down crying.

I was a complete disaster.

He sighed and hugged me. I rested my head on his shoulder and cried. He put his hands on my back and hold me tightly while I sobbed. As sad as it would sound, I could sworn it was the first hug that I felt true. I mean...I secretly loved hugs, but usually people just hugged you weakly or for obligation. I loved tight hugs. And boy, Jefferson hugged tight. And he was hugging me because he wanted to. Not even my family had hugged me like that.

"I'm sorry" I said again. "I-I I just...it hurts" I sobbed harder.

Why was that happening to me? I was just a kid. I shouldn't have to have these problems. I should be worrying about boys or silly things like that. But no, instead, I was crazy and having hallucinations and vivid memories that made me black out and that we're slowly eating my mind away. And everything was my fault. If I hadn't enchanted my mom I wouldn't had to go to the Enchanted Forest, and if I hadn't I wouldn't be here, on a Cursed Town.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked me softly, his face still buried on my hair while I still had my face hurried on his neck. I shook my head, not wanting to break away from the comfort the hug was giving me. He just nodded and hugged me tightly.

...

Jefferson gave me a cup of tea, as we both sat on his couch. He was invading my personal space again, as the couch was for one person and I had to practically cuddle to him. But I didn't cared. I only wanted to be held. I wanted comfort, for once.

"I'm sorry" I said, after sipping softly the tea.

"What happened?" he asked softly. "I mean..."

I interrupted him. "I know. It just...I can't believe he's here" slowly, I lowered my cup to the table.

"Who?" asked Jefferson.

It was hard for me to say his name, but I managed to. "Mor'Du"

For a minute he didn't said anything, but then, he reacted. He moved me slightly so he was looking at my eyes. I saw incredulity and confusion on them.

"Mor'Du" he repeated. "The bear?"

I nodded slowly, a shiver going down my spine when I thought about that beast. To then say tiredly and a bit afraid "I don't know how he's here, in human form again, or why. Maybe he followed me to the Enchanted Forest...I don't know. All I know is that he's here"

Jefferson made a sound that was like a whistle. "Did he recognised you?"

"I don't know. I don't think so" I said.

He had looked at me coldly, but I don't know if that was because I had crashed onto him, or if he remembered me.

For some minutes we were on a tense silence. Then, Jefferson clapped his hands together. He turned to me and forced a smile. "You hungry?" He was clearly trying to change the conversation. I didn't wanted to talk about Mor'Du either. Not now at least. Right now, I was too tired to think about something as important as my archienemie being here on StoryBrook.

"N—"I was going to say no, but my stomach betrayed me, and roared loudly.

He laughed and I blushed.

"Shut Up" I said.

"I didn't said anything" he said raising his hands in innocence, but he was smirking at me. I rolled my eyes at him, but smiled softly.

"C'mon Merida, lets eat" he raised from the couch, and I followed to the kitchen.

...

I only remembered I was in a nightie when I sat at the table. Jefferson was turning the stove, but he seemed to read my mind. He told me to go upstairs and take a bath while he made some food for me. He also said he would provide some clothes for me.

I nodded, and did as he said. I went upstairs and entered the bathroom. I looked around and found a towel and soaps and things. I turned the water on, and started to get undressed. I looked at myself in the small mirror before entering the tub. I sighed when my skin touched the warm water. I had really, really, needed a bath. As I started rubbing the soap in my body, my mind traveled to Mor'Du. He looked exactly like he looked before being transformed into a bear. Well, at least he looked like the pictures the Witch had showed me about him.

But how could he be here? It was impossible. The only explanation I found was that he had followed me to the Enchanted Forest, and he had been there when the Curse hit, just like me. But a question was roaming my mind. Was he here alone? I mean...was he the only one that followed me to the Enchanted Forest?

My thoughts were interrupted as the door flung open and Jefferson entered. He had a towel and clothes on his hands. He froze momentarily when he saw me looking at him wide eyed, to shocked to move and cover myself. He clearly hadn't expected me to be on the tub, instead of the other shower, the one that had a curtain.

For a second, we looked at each other. Then, he cleared his throat, looking a bit red, left the towel and the clothes, and left. Not without glancing back at me again.I was blushing. My heart was racing wildly and I had felt really weird when we looked at each other like that.

Then, I snapped out of it. I shook my head and showered as fast as I could. When I finished I put on the clothes Jefferson had left for me. There were his, of course, but at least it was something. I looked at myself in the mirror, and noticed I actually looked better than this morning. I brushed my hair and tied it in a messy bun.

When I was on my way out, I noticed my backpack was on the hallway. I picked it up, searching for my phone, and when I found it I groaned. I had ten missed calls from Granny and five from Delilah, Benny and Lily.

Jefferson looked up to me when he heard me rushing down the stairs and muttering things to myself.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Jefferson" I said "Thanks for everything. But I have to go"

He looked down at me. I rushed to the door, but a thought entered my mind. He had done so much for me. I turned back to him.

He was looking at me. I saw a big breakfast on the table, and I was tempted to stay there and eat. But Granny must be worried...But yet, he had done so much for me...

I went towards Jefferson, and kissed his cheek softly as a thank you. I separated from him, and saw him watching me.

"Thank you" I said softly. "You're my hero"

Then, I turned back and raced away.

_Granny was so going to kill me._


	6. A solution to my problems

**Chapter** **6**

News: I'm grounded.

Turns out, I had been with Jefferson for three days. I was surprised to now that, since that means my hallucinations were getting stronger. They usually only lasted hours. Now, days? That wasn't good. Anyway, when I entered Granny's, the first thing I saw was Benny, Lily and Delilah talking to Graham, then I was tackled down by Ruby, who hugged me tightly and didn't wanted to let go of me. Then, when Granny saw me she broke down crying and hugged me.(They had been really worried) then Graham asked me a couple of questions, but I managed to convince them that I was okay, and that nothing bad had happened.

Benny tried to joke that I was just passing a phrase, that we teenagers always in a point of our lives run away, but Granny was beyond mad with me. She grounded me. I couldn't talk to anyone, I couldn't use my computer/cellphone or anything that communicated me with the world, i was supposed to walk straight home after school. It was okay to me, I've never liked those things.

The only thing that mattered to me was Mor'Du.

The thought of him being here was driving me insane. I spent all my afternoon on my bed, looking at the ceiling and thinking.

* * *

I found out a couple of days later that Emma and Regina were officially fighting. Regina was making Emma's life pure hell, she made Graham arrest her, made Granny kick her out of the hotel...But Emma was fighting back. She even managed to save Cinderella's daughter from the terrible Mr. Gold.—Henry's words, not mine.

"Victoria"

I ignored their voices. I didn't wanted to talk to them today. Not after what had happened at the movies. I didn't deserved their attempt to be friends with me. I was broken, and dangerous. And I seriously doubted they would want to hang out with me again after what happened.

"Victoria!"

I turned towards Delilah with an irritated expression. "What?"

She pointed to the gates of school, and I saw Mr. Gold looking at me. I looked back at Delilah. She looked uneasy, like everyone that saw Mr. Gold. He had that effect on people. "He wants to talk to you"

I frowned. "Okay" I had no idea why, but I felt a spark of hope. The Dark One hasn't talked to me. Jefferson had said he said there was no way to go back, but yet, the strange twinkle on Mr. Gold's eyes let me know he wanted me to make a deal with him. So, I took my things and walked towards him.

"Hey" I said slowly.

He nodded at me. "Ms. Williams. Beautiful Morning, isn't it?"

I didn't say anything, I just watched him without blinking. He smirked, a small, nearly imperceptible smirk. And that was it. I was sure of it. He knew of something that could help me. Why else would he want to talk to me?

"You wanted to talk to me?" I asked.

He nodded. "Indeed, my dear, I think it's good news to you. I may or may not have found a solution to your problem"

That made the little spark of hope brighter. I perked up. "Is it—"

"Follow me. We can't talk here" he said curtly, turning and walking.

I glanced back for a moment. Delilah was watching me. She knew I was grounded, and I wasn't supposed to walk off school like that, but...it was important. Far more important that Granny's rules.

So. I followed Mr. Gold to his shop.

When we get to his shop he opened the door and holds it to me. I entered and looked around. I always liked his shop. It had so many amazing things...

Mr. Gold told me to wait while he went searching for something. I looked around, toying with little things when I heard Mr. Gold returning. He had dropped his coat, and returned with a mysterious box.

"Please, dear, sit" he motioned to me while he unwrapped the box.

I sat on a chair in front of him while he unwrapped the box. He did so, but he didn't opened it to reveal its content. He instead looked down to me. "Jefferson told me about your problem. What was the name of the witch?"

I blinked. "I don't know. She didn't told me"

"Foolish thing, huh? Trusting a witch" he said.

I didn't answered him. Instead, I said, "Jefferson says you don't have a way out of here..."

"Had" he corrected. "I didn't had a way out. I do now"

I straightened on the chair. "And?"

"And?" Mr. Gold repeated, looking at me. "That's your part dear. Do you want to make a deal?"

"Yes" I said without thinking. "Can you take me back? Would I be able to save my family...?"

"One step at the time, Ms. Williams" he interrupted me, opening the box and extracting a little bottle filled with a white substance. "First thing first. This will be able to take you back to your realm, then we'll talk about retrieving your family's humanity."

"Why hadn't you used it yourself?" I interrupted, frowning, thinking it was a trick. But, he just laughed. He actually laughed at me like I was a little funny thing. "Dearie, I'm exactly where I want to be"

That struck me like a lightening. He wanted to be here. He wanted to be here, on this damned world.

"Who would want to be here?" my voice clearly let my disgust threw.

"That, my dear, is none of your business" he said. "Do we have a deal or not?"

I frowned. "Yes we do. But first, can you please explain me everything"

"It's very simple. You drink this, and you will be back to your realm. But only for a short amount of time. The right amount of time to retrieve your family's humanity, and make peace with them, and all that things"

"That's it?" I asked incredulously. "I drink that and I'll magically will be back?"

"It's called magic for a reason, dearie" told me Mr. Gold in a sarcastic tone.

I frowned for a couple of minutes. Everything seemed too made up. Too simple. It couldn't be just like that. It was too easy.

"What's your price?" I asked, looking up at his golden eyes.

He sighed. "I actually have no price"

I looked at him incredulously. "How come?" he always wanted something.

"I don't know you, dearie" he said as if it should be obvious. "You don't have anything I want."

"So it's for free?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not" he said, a small smirk forming on his lips. "You'll owe me something"

"What?"

"A favour, or something like that" he said.

I didn't liked it. But if it was my only solution...

"Let's say I accept and manage to be back at my realm. Then how will I retrieve my mother and brothers humanity?"

"How did you take it away?" he asked me. "Did you have a fight? What made you want to change them?"

"I never meant for them to transform into a monster" I said. "I just...I just wanted my mom to understand me. I-I just wanted her to understand me." I took a deep breath. "Yes, we fought. She wanted me to get married, but I didn't wanted to since I was just a little girl, and I was like...what's the world? oh yes, I was asexual, and too young to get married, I'd never liked boys or girls, but I still believed I would met someone and fall in love, but she wanted me to get married to one of the suitors, not to my true love. I told her I hated her and I destroyed our tapestry, then I ran away. I got lost in the forest, found the witch's house and make a deal with her. I swear I only told her to change my mothers way of seeing things..."

"And she tricked you" he said.

I nodded. "She gave me a cake that did changed my mother, but it changed her into a beast. Then as I tried to amend things, my little brothers ate what was left of the cake..."

He grimaced. "Forgive me if I say it dearie, but all that was your fault"

"I know" I snapped. "That's why I want to fix it"

"Well..." he moved around and gave me a look. "To save your family you must heal what was broken"

I frowned. "What?"

He rolled his eyes at me. "The tapestry. Repair it"

I looked at him. "That's it? I repair the tapestry and they'll be humans again?"

"Yes" said Mr. Gold. "That's pretty much it"

I guess it kinda makes sense. In my family tapestries were important. Really, really important. Maybe they contained magic and I didn't knew it. Anyway, I was so happy to have a way to be back, even for a little time, just if that means I would help my family.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Gold" I said, unable to beam at him widely.

He nodded to me, and gave me the little bottle. "Don't thank me, dearie, thank Jefferson"

I froze for a second. My hand around the bottle. I looked up at Mr. Gold confused. "Jefferson?"

He nodded. "He reminded me that I had that poison that could take you to your kingdom. Be glad he did. If he hadn't, I wouldn't have remembered it"

Only then, all my resolution and my emotion for being able to be back to my kingdom evaporated. Jefferson did so much for me. He shouldn't have. He didn't had to, but he still did. He talked to Rumple, he convinced him. He had helped me so much. He deserved this potion more than me. He could use it, and he'll be happy with Grace, like he wanted to. I had destroyed my family. He hadn't. His family was taken away from him. If he uses this...he could have his happy ending.

"Dearie?"

I looked at Mr. Gold. "Hmm?"

"The potion serves for two people. If you want someone else to go with you, you can take someone"

Then it was perfect for Jefferson. He and Grace could be together. I-I...I guess that was okay for me. He deserved it. He was a good man. I wasn't a good woman. I destroyed my family. I was crazy. I was selfish...and the only thing he wanted was to have his family back. He deserved it more than me.

* * *

I took my time, but I found the courage to knock on Jefferson's door. He didn't answered for a couple of seconds, but I heard the rushed sound of footsteps. Then, the door was opened, and Jefferson smiled at me.

"Merida" he smiled. "Hi. How are you? I hadn't seen you in days"

I hugged him. I felt him stiffen at first, surprised, but then, he hugged me back, chucking.

"Thank you" I said, feeling my eyes get teary.

He looked at me confused, to then slowly smile. "You talked to Rumplestiltskin?"

I nodded, sniffling.

"Awesome right? You can go and save your family..." he stopped when he noticed my look. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not gonna take it, Jefferson" I said.

The smile dropped of his face. He let me inside and closed the door.

I looked to the floor. He looked at me confused. "Why?"

"I don't deserve it" I said.

"Merida, it's probably your only chance to save them" told me Jefferson, coming forwards and gripping my hands. I gave him a soft look. He looked so worried for me.

"I know. But..." I removed one of my hands from his and took the magic bottle out of one of my pockets. "You deserve it more than me"

"What?" he sounded shocked.

"You deserve your chance at a happy ending with Grace—"

"Merida—"

"—Take it and go. You two can be together...—"

"Merida!—"

"I want you too to be together—"

"MERIDA!"

"WHAT?" I yelled, looking up at him.

He was smiling at me. A true smile with twinkling eyes and a soft look. He looked like he wanted to hug me and laugh at the same time.

"It doesn't work on the Enchanted Forest" he said softly.

I blinked. "What?"

"The spell, it only works on your land" he said. "Besides, I can't take Grace. Not now. She doesn't remember. She'd lost her mind if I take her with me to another world"

"Oh" I said, my face dropping. So Jefferson won't be able to take Grace with him...

"But thank you" he said, taking my hands and kissing them. "Thank you for thinking about me"

I felt embarrassed now. But still, Jefferson's smile made everything better.

"So. When are you going?" he smiled at me.

I blinked. "I don't know. I hadn't thought about it. I wanted...well, I wanted you and Grace to take the potion."

He smiled at me again in that way that made my heart flutter. I ignored my mad thoughts and sighed. What was happening to me now? Was it a heart attack? Honestly, that was the last thing I needed right now. Maybe it was just the adrenaline of knowing I was going back to my land. Yes. That was it.

"Right now, I guess" I said.

He nodded then, looking awkwardly to the ceiling. "Are you going...alone?"

I swallowed. "Well...I...I can take someone with me"

Jefferson glanced at me. I looked to other side.

"Who are you taking?" he asked with a indifference tone of voice.

"I-I..." I blushed a bit. "I was thinking that maybe...if you want to, of course—"

"Yeah" he said. "I want to"

"Oh" I grinned. "Okay"

"Okay" he smiled back at me.

We prepared ourselves to go. He changed his clothes for something that seemed more from our world, though it was still black. And of course, he had a hat on his head. I, for the other hand, found on Mr. Gold's shop the dress I had been wearing when I first came here. (Shock: I also found my bow! Who would have guesses it was on Mr. Golds shop?) A light blue dress that fitted me perfectly yet felt comfy and permitted me to move around without it being difficult. I tied my hair into a messy bun so it wouldn't interfere with my archery.

"Ready?" I called when we were ready.

He simply nodded and took my hand as I took the first zip of the bottle. I coughed and gagged. Jefferson took the potion from me and drank too. Then, we were wrapped in a purple mist, and everything went black.


End file.
